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` tially as and for the purposes described.

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NORMAN W. WHEELER-OF BROOKLYN, NitW YORK.

Letters .Patent No. 66,193, dated J'zmc 25, 1867. i

IMPROVEMENT IN FLEXIBLE GOUPLING.

TO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, NORMAN W. WHEELER, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, andState of New YorkLhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Flexible Couplings, for the purpose of connecting together revolving shafts in such a wayvthat changes in their alignment shall not affect, in any great degree', the journals or-the machines Of'which they form a part; and I hereby declare that the Vfollowingis a full and `exact description ofthe construction and operation thereof, reference-being had to the accompanying drawing, with lettens of reference marked therconrforming part of this specification; in which- Figure 1 represents an elevation; and i Figure 2, a sectional end view ofthe coupling- Like letters indicating the same parts inboth gures.

I regard my invention as a modification of and an improvement upon that which is called the universal joint" or Hookes coupling, except in the feature of my invention which allows end play tothe shafts,with but little abnormal strain 'to the parts, the object being toco'nncct together two or more lengths ofshaftng in such a way that, ifV the ship, building, or foundationupon which the bearings Test, be disturbed so as to throw the shafts out of line, excessive friction upon the journals may be avoided, and that the wear of the parts'may be compensated for by a. ready means of taking up the lost motion resulting from wear of the coupling.

To put my invention into practice I secure upon the ends of the two shafts a a, which 4are to be coupled,

the coupling-heads B B, each with two bosses g y, which bosses formA rim-bases forA the trunnions. c c c c, the

trunnions ovcrhanging the ends of the shafts so far that the trunnions c c c c may be brought intoA the same plane without bringing the ends ofthe shafts or the coupling-heads in contact with each other. I then fit four 4 chock-piecesffff tothe trunnions c c c c, with the partings at the trunnion-bearings, c2 e2, dac., and clampV the whole together with the rccessed"clampring D D, which ring is made in two or more parts,'and heldA together-by the bolts E E, the recess of the ring D D tting over the chock-piecesffff and holding them securely in place. After the coupling has worn so much as to exhibit lost motion, it may be rc-adjusted by the usual,i method in analogous cases, viz, by filing oi the facesdot'A the two parts of the ring D D where they come together, when, by bringing together the new faces, the, chocklpieces ffff will he brought again into close contact with the `trunnions c c c c, the ring DVD springingenough to accommodate theslight distortion resulting fromthe operation. If standing boltswere put into' the ends of the trunnions e c c c, with nuts uponthem controlling wash-ers large enough to cover. the ends of the chock-pieces ffff, 'and hold them from spreading, then the clamp-ring D Dmight be dispensed with, for the nuts, bolts, and washers would perform its functions. Thisv and equivalent devices I consider colorable variations of my invention. To provide lforeud play of the shafts I divide the chock-pieces ffff radiallyLas-secn atfzlfZfg, and make the piecesfzfzfzf2 se narrow in relation to the -recess of thering` D` D, into which' they are. fitted, that they .will not fill it, the recess, by so much as the end play desired, when the two trunnions attached to one shaft will move back and forth within the ring to the extent allowed@withoutstraining the parts.

Having thus described my'iuvention, I will indicate that which I believe tot be new and useful, and for which I desire to secure Letters Patent, viz: I claim- I l. The combination of-the coupling-heads B B, chock-pieces ffff, and clamp-ring D D, substantially as vand for the purposes described.

2. In combination with the above, dividing and constructing thechock-piccesffff andfzfz-jz, substan- NORMAN W, WHEELER, lWitn esses:

EDWIN C. SHoAnns,

F. C. PnINDLE.

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